While the beauty industry has spent a lot of time talking about shade-range extensions and vowing to listen and learn, as 2021 draws to a close, we’re left asking the all-important question: Just how much has really changed? “What’s massively disheartening is that promises were made and not adhered to. When Black History Month came around this year, I thought of course the beauty industry would do something [to mark the occasion], but there was nothing of note,” says Cartwright.
It was at that moment she decided something should be done and set about launching the Black Beauty Council. “It’s a council and collective that comes together to drive change. I wanted to create an initiative that holds brands accountable. Not in a cancel-culture way, but in a way that can help guide them to make the right choices,” Cartwright explains.
The new council is set to mark major change for the beauty space in 2022, moving it into a forward-thinking, inclusive industry that’s more accessible to all. “It allows brands to fully prove their commitment rather than just say they are committed. It will give the opportunity for beauty businesses to sign a two-year or three-year contract that says they will adhere to certain requirements,” she says.
